 | | | | |  | |  | | | | | | General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) | | July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010
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- What is General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC)?
- Who can get GAMC?
- Does it matter how long I have lived in Minnesota to get GAMC?
- How do I get an application for GAMC?
- What is the application like?
- What else do I have to do to apply?
- Do I have to go in person to apply?
- Will GAMC pay for health care services I got before I applied for GAMC?
- Can I get GAMC if I have been convicted of a felony involving drugs?
- What are the income limits for GAMC Comprehensive Coverage?
- How does GAMC Comprehensive Coverage work?
- What are assets?
- Are there any asset limits for GAMC Comprehensive Coverage?
- How soon will I be able to get on GAMC Comprehensive Coverage?
- What do I have to do to stay on GAMC Comprehensive Coverage?
- How often do I need to renew coverage for GAMC Comprehensive Coverage?
- What services are covered under GAMC Comprehensive Coverage?
- What is a co-pay?
- Are there co-pays for GAMC Comprehensive Coverage?
- Are there premiums for GAMC Comprehensive Coverage?
- What are the income limits for GAMC Hospital Only Coverage?
- What is gross income?
- What are assets?
- Are there any asset limits for GAMC Hospital Only Coverage?
- How does GAMC Hospital Only Coverage work?
- What services are covered under GAMC Hospital Only Coverage?
- Are there co-pays for GAMC Hospital Only Coverage?
1. What is General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC)?
General Assistance Medical Care is a health insurance program for some
Minnesotans with very low incomes. It is for adults who are not raising
children. There are two GAMC programs: Comprehensive Coverage (full
medical benefits) and Hospital Only Coverage (just for hospital
visits). These two GAMC programs have different income limits, asset
limits and covered services. The differences are explained below.
GAMC is administered by the Minnesota Department of Human Services but eligibility and case management is done by county human services departments. |
2. Who can get GAMC?
You must be an adult between ages 21-64, have no dependent children under age 18, live in Minnesota and have income below the limits. You
also have to be a U.S. citizen or have an acceptable immigrant status to get GAMC.
Undocumented immigrants cannot get GAMC. Also, you cannot get GAMC if
you are eligible for Medical Assistance (MA). |
3. Does it matter how long I have lived in Minnesota to get GAMC?
Yes, you must have lived in Minnesota for at least 30 days to get GAMC.
You also have to plan to stay in Minnesota. (There are some exceptions
for medical emergencies and some migrant workers.) |
4. How do I get an application for GAMC?
The application is called the Minnesota Health Care Programs
Application. You can get one at your county human services office. You
can also get one mailed to your home if you call 1-800-657-3672 or
651-297-3862 (in the Twin Cities). (TTY service: 1-800-627-3529 or
711). You can also get applications on this website by clicking here. |
5. What is the application like?
The application is 24 pages long, plus instructions. It is available
in English, Spanish, Hmong, Somali, Khmer (Cambodian), Lao, Vietnamese,
Arabic, Oromo, Serbo-Croatian (Bosnian) and Russian. The application
will ask you about everyone who lives with you, how much money they
make and what they own (assets). You will also have to provide
copies of “documents of proof” that show your income (such as pay stubs
or tax returns) and assets. You can complete the application yourself or you
can get help filling it out from a county worker or other groups. You
can use the Program Directory on this website to find places that
help in your county. |
6. What else do I have to do to apply?
You will also have to answer some questions on another form, saying if
you have committed a drug felony and if you are violating probation or
parole. |
7. Do I have to go in person to apply?
No. You can apply for GAMC by sending your application and copies of
your documents of proof in the mail. (Do not send the original
documents because they could get lost.) You can mail your application or bring it to
your county human services office. |
8. Will GAMC pay for health care services I got before I applied for GAMC?
No. GAMC will not pay for any
care you got before you had GAMC. Coverage may begin the day that
the county received your application. |
9. Can I get GAMC if I have been convicted of a felony involving drugs?
If you were convicted of a drug felony you cannot get GAMC for 5 years
after you finish your court-ordered sentence unless you are in a drug
treatment program, you finished a drug treatment program, or you had an
assessment that found you didn’t need to go through a drug treatment
program. If this applies to you and you get GAMC, you will have to do
random drug testing. If you fail a drug test or get another drug
conviction, you will lose your GAMC but other people in your
household could still get GAMC. |
10. What are the income limits for GAMC Comprehensive Coverage?
To get GAMC Comprehensive Coverage, your gross income has to be less
than 75% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Click here to use the eligibility screening tool on this website to find out if you are eligible or click here to download a chart to see if your income is below the
limit. |
11. How does GAMC Comprehensive Coverage work?
Once you have been accepted for GAMC, you will get a packet of
information from the county. You have to pick a managed care health
plan (like Medica, BlueCross/BlueShield or HealthPartners). If you do
not choose a plan, the county will pick one for you. Then, you will get
two cards in the mail. One card will say “Minnesota’s Health Care
Programs” and another card will be from your health plan. You need to
bring both cards when you go to the doctor or pharmacy, or get
any health service. |
12. What are assets?
Assets include money in a checking or savings account or other items of
value. Not all assets are counted for the limit (looked at to see if
you qualify). |
13. Are there any asset limits for GAMC Comprehensive Coverage?
Yes. Your household cannot have assets worth more than $1,000. The most commonly counted assets include:
• Cash
• Savings accounts
• Checking accounts
• Certificates of deposit
• Stocks and bonds
• Recreational vehicles such as 4-wheelers, snowmobiles, boats/motors/trailers and campers
• Land or houses you do not live on or in
Assets that are not counted include:
• The home you live in
• Household and personal goods such as clothing, jewelry, furniture, appliance and tools and equipment used in the home
• Motor vehicle under certain conditions
• Capital and operating assets of a trade or business
There may be other assets that your family owns that may be counted or excluded.
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14. How soon will I be able to get on GAMC Comprehensive Coverage?
After you send in your application and copies of your documents of
proof, it usually takes about 1-2 months before you can get on the
program. You will get a letter in the mail telling you if you are
enrolled in GAMC (you have been accepted). If you get a letter that
says “your application is pending,” the county needs more information
from you before you can get GAMC. Call your county worker right away. |
15. What do I have to do to stay on GAMC Comprehensive Coverage?
You must tell your GAMC worker about any changes in your
household within 10 days of them happening. Things you must report
include births, deaths, moving, income or job changes, and people
moving in or out of your household. You also have to always renew your
coverage (tell them some information about you to make sure that you
can still get GAMC) when they send you a "Renewal Letter" in the mail. |
16. How often do I need to renew coverage for GAMC Comprehensive Coverage?
Every six months. You will get a “Renewal Form” in the mail that asks
you questions. Fill it out, sign your name, and mail it back right away
so that you can keep getting your health insurance. If you move, be
sure to let a GAMC worker know your new address so that you will get
this letter. |
17. What services are covered under GAMC Comprehensive Coverage?
Covered health care services include doctor visits, hospitalization, prescriptions, eye exams, eye glasses, dental care and more. Click here for a complete list of covered services and co-pays.
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18. What is a co-pay?
It is a small amount of the total bill that you have to pay when you get a service (get eyeglasses, see a chiropractor, etc.). |
19. Are there co-pays for GAMC Comprehensive Coverage?
Yes, there are some co-pays. Click here for a complete list of covered services and co-pays. |
20. Are there premiums for GAMC Comprehensive Coverage?
No. (A premium is money that some health insurance programs make you
pay every month to start and to keep your health coverage.) Except for
co-pays, there is no cost to you to get GAMC Comprehensive Coverage.
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INFORMATION ABOUT “GAMC HOSPITAL ONLY” COVERAGE |
21. What are the income limits for GAMC Hospital Only Coverage?
To get GAMC Hospital Only Coverage, your gross income has to be between 75-175% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (If your income is below
75% of the FPG, you can get GAMC Comprehensive Coverage instead. See
above). You can look up your household size in the chart below to see
if your income is below the limit. (These figures change every year on
July 1.)
Household size Monthly Income Yearly Income
1
$639-$1,489
$7,659-$17,868
2
$857-$1,996
$10,269-$23,958 |
22. What is gross income?
Gross income is your income before taxes and deductions are taken out. |
23. What are assets?
Assets include money in a checking or savings account or other items of
value. Not all assets are counted for the limit. |
24. Are there any asset limits for GAMC Hospital Only Coverage?
Yes, your household cannot have assets worth more than $10,000 if you
are a household of one adult or $20,000 if you are a household of two
adults. |
25. How does GAMC Hospital Only Coverage work?
To apply for GAMC Hospital Only Coverage, you must be in the hospital
or expecting to go to the hospital within 45 days. Your health care
coverage starts the day you enter the hospital or the day your county
human service agency gets your application (whichever is later). It
ends the day you leave the hospital. |
26. What services are covered under GAMC Hospital Only Coverage?
GAMC Hospital Only Coverage only pays for inpatient hospital care and
physicians’ (doctors’) services while you are in the hospital. |
27. Are there co-pays for GAMC Hospital Only Coverage?
Yes. For GAMC Hospital Only Coverage, you have to pay a $1,000 co-pay each time you enter the hospital.
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